Paratiisi is a masterpiece by Finland's leading designer, Birger Kaipiainen, known as the "King of Decorators." The prototype was unveiled in 1968 and released in 1969. When Arabia significantly reduced production in 1974 due to the oil crisis, Paratiisi was temporarily discontinued, but was revived in 1988 and is still in production today.
This plate is a vintage black and white Paratiisi plate produced in small batches for two years from 1972. To reduce the effort required for decoration, this plate is made of outlines only, without glaze. The shape is the same, but the backstamp is simple, with the so-called ARABIA crown logo engraved on it.
The Black Paratiisi is said to be a model that reduces the labor required for painting in order to make it mass-produced, but since there are very few of the earliest models from 1972 to 1974 left, it seems that they were never mass-produced. Currently, Paratiisi is produced in three colors: color, black and white, and purple, but Kaipiainen actually supervised the color and this black and white version. The vintage model has thin and light lines overall, and it is clear that only the lines of the sketch were used. The reissue model has thicker and clearer lines in the design overall.
This plate is larger than the regular oval plate (29.5cm) and is a discontinued model. It is not produced as a reproduction, so it is a rare item that can only be found as a vintage item.
■Details Manufacturer: ARABIA Designer: Birger Kaipiainen Series name: Paratiisi Era: 1 972-1974
Country of Origin: Finland
Condition: ★★★★☆ (4.5: Very good condition)
When held up to the light, the surface of the plate shows some storage marks that are not visible in the photo. These are not cutlery marks but are caused by stacking, etc., and the plate itself is in dead stock condition. It is in mint condition with the luster from when it was manufactured well retained. There is a dent on the edge that is a type of support mark.
■Size: Width 29.3cm, Length 26.3cm, Height 4cm
Birger Kaipiainen (1915-1988)
Born in Pori, southwestern Finland, on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Finland's leading designer, known as the "King of Decorators". Although he moved to the capital, Helsinki, when he was a child, Kaipiainen spends every summer with a homestay in the Russian town of Sortavala. The sense of nature and artistry cultivated there would influence him throughout his life. In his prime, Kaipiainen suffered from polio, which forced him to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. Due to a disability in one hand, he was unable to turn the potter's wheel and make pottery by himself, but this experience is said to have inspired him to hone his unique artistic sense.
Kaipiainen graduated from Aalto University's Faculty of Art, Finland's top art university, and began working at ARABIA in 1937 , before also transferring to Sweden's Rorstrand for four years from 1954 . During the heyday of simple and unadorned modern Scandinavian art, Kaipiainen's designs were rich in ornamentation and characterized by detailed depictions drawn in every corner. He has created a unique worldview that stands out from the mainstream of the time, designing Paratisch in 1969 , Apia in 1970 , and Sunnuntai in 1971 . These are still Arabia's reprints and are their signature products.
